Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette (CD, Jun-1995, Maverick)

This is one of those CD's that is a must-have for any music library, and is included in scores of "Best Album" lists by an impressive array of mixed reviewers. I purchased this when it debuted and literally wore out at least two CD's from overplay. It's a unique and incredibly diverse album with vocals that will sear your brain, and lyrics that explore anger, love, bitterness, angst, and jealousy in depth and with a confident, smart style that is almost unheard of in a breakthrough artist. The album contains a list of songs that are superior in every aspect and stand out uniquely and unforgettably on their own, with absolutely no "filler", and include crooning ballads, sultry soul, raging rock, and more. It's sarcastic, crude, rude, and harsh; yet it was honest and actually made sense. This album will not leave you unaffected, even for those who are not fans of this incredible musical gem. The music, lyrics, and voice of Alannis Morrissette are strong, with an incredible range of emotion and depth that reach both men and women. Although criticized for "faking" the angst and anger that are part of her new persona (Alannis was a bubble-gum pop singer in Canada before crashing into the US charts with JLP), she deserves every hymn of praise sung for this unique and talented compilation. Many people will probably remember many of the songs as they received heavy radio airplay in the 90's. It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since the release of this rock/alternative masterpiece. It's as contemporary now as it was then as a voice for young women True, it's been a while now since I reached into my CD library and listened to Jagged Little Pill, but I will always remember what it did for me back when it came out. It still carries a powerful wave of nostalgia for me when I overhear any of the songs on this memorable classic. Isnt' that what all great music should do?